The commoners watching Su Xi-er were confused by her words; not only was this their first time seeing her up close, but many of them were also still shocked over the man’s death. He died because of an herb? How did she know that he collapsed and died while foaming at his mouth?
Dressed in a dazzling red outfit, Su Xi-er’s appearance was enough to command the attention of all the commoners who waited for her to explain further.
Su Xi-er pointed at the white foam the dead man spat out and said, “We’ll usually see pure white or a little bit of yellow when someone foams at the mouth, but look, there’s a little bit of red here.”
The commoners looked towards where she pointed and widened their eyes as they began discussing the matter. “There really is a little bit of red! So he died after being poisoned by an herb! This timing was too perfect; to think that he died right after talking about Princess Consort Hao!” Some of the commoners suddenly realised that Su Xi-er was right there and stopped talking, wondering if they would also die just like the man before them if they continued with such speculations.
Su Xi-er laughed. “This man was poisoned beforehand, and it only took effect now. There have been several similar unexplained occurrences in Beimin recently, so all of you have to trust that His Majesty, Prince Hao, and Commandery Prince Xie will be able to solve this issue soon. Be careful, and don’t be misled by the rumors! Besides, do I look like an evil spirit?” She then smiled gently with her dimples showing.
The commoners were momentarily captivated by her sweet appearance before going back to their senses. “Princess Consort Hao is more like a fairy! You’re no evil spirit! I don’t believe that at all!”
“That’s right. Evil spirits look horrid! We have to keep a clear mind and not be misled by such rumours! There must be people who are jealous of how well Beimin is doing and want to cause chaos!” The commoners started another discussion as they sang praises of Su Xi-er.
The Imperial Army guard marvelled at how the Princess Consort had managed to assuage the crowd. They all seemed to honestly believe her, trusting that all they had to do was keep their heads on straight and allow the imperial court to investigate.
The Imperial Army guard walked up to Su Xi-er and bowed. “Princess Consort Hao, Young Miss Liu Yinyin has left the palace.”
Su Xi-er frowned at this. Yinyin left of her own accord? How could that be possible when she’s well aware of the current situation in Beimin? Furthermore, how could she leave without anyone noticing with how many guards are around the palace?
Su Xi-er could already tell that something was amiss. “Things aren’t so simple, and I’ll have to make a trip to the palace myself. Go to the army barracks and inform Prince Hao as well; make sure nobody else finds out.”
The Imperial Army guard bowed and said, “This subordinate obeys.”
Su Xi-er then instructed a guard from the Prince Hao Residence to bring her to the palace. Seeing how rushed she looked, the guard quickly cracked his whip and had his carriage head for the palace.
Xie Yun had already left when she arrived, and Situ Lin had taken Liu Yinyin’s note back to the Imperial Study with him. He was comparing the handwriting on the note with Liu Yinyin’s previous writing.
Su Xi-er entered and asked, “Your Majesty, how are you so sure that Yinyin left on her own and wasn’t instead kidnapped?”
